Windlass attachment for tractors



March 24, 1964 w. Huw 3,126,168

WINDLASS ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed May 21, 1962 FIEZE INVENTOR Ea =42 M A ums Jrrazuer:

United States Patent 3,126,168 WINDLASS ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Edgar W. Huwe, Rte. 2, Benson, Minn. Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,078 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-865) This invention relates generally to a Windlass attachment for tractors.

There are many times on a farm when the farmer desires to wind a rope or various types of Wire, including both barbed wire and electric wire, onto a reel for reuse later on. If performed by hand, this task can be a time consuming operation. On the other hand, where special equipment is purchased, a sizable investment is made for the amount of use that will be realized from such equipment. Consequently, a need exists for a windlass that will be effective and yet not be costly. Accordingly, the present invention has for a general object the provision of a simple and inexpensive Windlass attachment for tractors. More specifically, it is contemplated that the attachment of the present invention be clamped directly to the rear axle of a tractor or to some portion of the wheel mounted thereon, and that the tractor be jacked up so that the tractors engine can be used in accomplishing the winding operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the foregoing character that will accommodate almost any conventional type of can, drum or pail. In this regard, it is an aim of the invention to utilize ordinary sheet metal containers, such as milk cans and grease drums. Other containers can also be employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a windlass attachment that can be adjusted so as to accommodate containers, such as those mentioned immediately above, of various diameters, the attachment being easily adjusted to grip or hold the particular diameter container that might be available at that particular moment. Actually, the cross section of the container need not even be circular, as rectangular containers can be held, although the winding is more readily achieved where the container possesses a cylindrical portion on which the rope or wire is to be wound. It is also an aim of the invention to provide an attachment for holding cans and drums of various lengths, the particular construction of the attachment making the length of the container immaterial. In this regard, it is planned that the container be held only at one end, and that the other end project axially away from the tractors wheel to its normal and natural extent.

Still further, the invention has for an object the provision of a Windlass attachment for tractors that is formed of two identical sections that can be quickly mounted on a rear wheel of a tractor. The fact that the two sections are identical not only permits a facile attachment, but contributes to the low cost fabrication of the attachment that has been generally alluded to above.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a windlass attachment that can be carried on the tractor for use whenever needed, and at the same time not occupy very much space. In other Words, the invention envisages a lightweight and compact attachment. On the other hand, the attachment is of such construction that it can be left on the tractor while the tractor is being used generally on the farm, for the attachment does not interfere in any way with the normal movement of the tractor.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a rear view of a conventional tractor with my Windlass attachment mounted thereon; FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the attachment taken in 3,126,168 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 ice the direction of line 22 of FIGURE 1, and FIGURE 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, taken in the direction of line 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, it can be seen from FIGURE 1 that a tractor has been generally depicted and has been given the reference numeral 10. The tractors engine-driven transmission has been labeled 12 and the transmission via a conventional differential rotates the laterally extending axles 14 on which are mounted the rear wheels 16. Inasmuch as the use of the present invention requires that one of the rear wheels 16 be elevated or raised from the ground, a jack 18 has been shown which lifts the tractors frame so as to raise the left wheel 16, as has been illustrated.

My Windlass attachment has been generally denoted by the reference numeral 20. One of the advantages of the invention is that the attachment is constructed of identical upper and lower halves or sections identified by the reference numerals 22 and 24, respectively. Each of the halves or sections 22, 24 includes an angle or V-shaped element 26 having oppositely directed flanges 23 secured to the angle or V-element of each section 22, 24 by a weld labeled 30. By reason of a bolt 32 that passes through each flange of each section 22, 24 and nuts 34 threadedly received thereon the two halves or sections 22, 24 are retained in a clamped relationship on the axle 14 at the left in FIGURE 1. The nuts 34, it will be understood, can readily be loosened so as to effect a detachment of the sections 22 and 24 constituting the attachment 20.

The Windlass attachment 20 also includes, as oriented in FIGURE 2, horizontal forwardly and rearwardly directed angle irons 36 providing vertical faces by reason of the vertical flanges associated with these members. As best viewed in FIGURE 3, the angle irons 36 are made integral with the angle or V-elements 26 by welds 38 and are also joined to the flanges 28 by welds 46.

Each of the halves or sections 22, 24 additionally includes a pair of radially extending channel members 42, which, in effect, provide oppositely issuing arms when the attachment is afiixed to the axle 14. These channel members 42 can be best seen in FIGURE 3, FIGURE 3 depicting the channel as a part of the upper section 22. Welds 44 secure the channel members 42 tothe angle irons 36 and also to the V-elements of the two identical sections 22, 24. It is to be noted, though, that a space 46 is provided between the channel members 42 so as to form a radial slot for a purpose presently to be made manifest.

At this time, attention is called to a slidable channel 48, each of the identical sections .22 and 24 having such a channel member which form oppositely issuing arms. The space or slot '46 accommodates a bolt 54 in each instance that passes through an aperture in the web of the channel 48, and the bolt 50 has a nut 5-2 thereon which bears against a washer 5-4 so as to assist in the radial guiding and positioning of the channel member 48. Each channel 48 has a perpendicular clamping plate 56 integral therewith and thereby radially positionable in accordance with its channel 48.

Welded to the remote or distal ends of the channel members '42 are flanges 5 7, the parallel planes of these flanges being at right angles to the channels 42. The flanges 57 are made quite rigid by means of side braces or gusset plates 58. Each flange 57 is apertured and has a nut '59 encircling such aperture which is welded to its particular flange. The nut '59 carries a threaded shaft 60 and at the extreme opposite ends of these shafts 60, there being one for each section 22 and 24, is an adjusting knob 62 that is used for advancing and retracting the shafts 60.

At this time, it can be explained that by reason of the advancement of the shafts 60 toward each other their ends will press against the plates 56 to grip or clam-p therebetween a can, drum or pail denoted by the reference numeral 66 and having a closed end 68 which imparts considerable rigidity to such a container. As hereinbefore indicated, the container may be of a variety of configurations, a milk can or grease drum being but two examples. One of the advantages is that the container 66 can be an article that would be apt to be discarded. In this connection, it can be appreciated that a rnilk can can develop a leak that would make it unsuitable for storing liquids, yet perfectly suited for the purpose intended in practicing the instant invention.

Having presented the foregoing information, it is believed evident as to how my Windlass attachment would be employed. *It will be assumed for the moment that the farmer has been using the tractor for general purposes. When he desires to wind a rope or wire 70 about the container 66, he elevates the particular wheel '16 that is to be employed, doing this by means of the jack 18. This condition is clearly depicted in FIG- U'RE '1.

Assuming that the attachment has not as yet been mounted on the left Wheel 16, the farmer then proceeds to tighten the nuts 34 so as to pull the two V-elemen-ts 26 toward each other and thereby firmly grip the axle 14 of this particular Wheel.

To place the attachment 2% in a condition to grip the container 66, the user retracts the threaded shafts 6t sufficiently by twisting the knobs 62 so that the clamping plates 56 on the channels 48 can be moved sufiiciently outwardly in a. radial direction in order that the container 66 can be placed between the two clamping plates 56 with its bottom 68 abutting the irons 36. The nuts 52 on the bolts Sil can be loosened sufliciently to permit the channels 48 to be moved or slid to thus back oh the plates 56 enough to permit insertion of the container 66.

Care must be exercised in advancing the threaded shafts 60 toward each other so that when the container 66 is engaged and gripped by the clamping plates 56, the container is in virtually a true axial relationship with the axle 14. This is necessary in order to cause the container 66 to rotate about an axis that is common with the rotational axis of the wheel 15. Otherwise, as readily understood, there would be a wobble imparted to the container 66. To assist in the retention of the container 66, the nuts 52 on the bolts 50 can be tightened, thereby cooperating in preventing any outward shifting of the channels 48 and their attached plates 56, although the principal responsibility in this regard lies with the shafts 60 that act to prevent any such shifting or inadvertent displacement of the plates 56.

With the attachment '20 mounted on the axle 14 and the container 66 clamped as explained above, the transmission 12 is then used to rotate the left wheel 16, and the axle 14 spins the container 66 so as to wind up the rope or cable 70. When the rope or cable 70 has been completely wound on the container 66 in a spool-like manner, the shafts 60 can be retracted by reason of their associated adjusting knobs 62 so as to permit the channels 45 and their plates 56 to be displaced outwardly in order to allow removal of the container 66 with the now wound rope or wire '70 thereon. The rope or wire 70 can then be conveniently stored until needed at some future date. If further winding is to be undertaken, then another container, either of the same size or a diiierent size, can be attached in the same manner as was the container 66, the plates 56 being appropriately adjusted for the size of container to be held. The point to be realized is that the containers, whether they be cans, drums or pails are relatively inexpensive to procure, yet provide a very effective means for retaining flexible materials of various sorts until such materials are needed later on. It is to be noted that my attachment 20 permits these containers to be of lightweight sheet material.

When the attachment 20 is no longer needed, it can be removed by loosening the nuts 34 and the two sections or halves 22, 24 can be completely separated so as to occupy even less space than when the bolts 32 are left in the flanges 28. This is a matter that can be decided upon by the user.

For the purpose of claim interpretation, the term axle is to be considered as a part of the wheel with which it is associated, and is also to be considered as any accessory that might be fastened to a tractors wheel even though such accessory does not produce rotation of the wheel but is only rotated with the wheel.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A Windlass attachment for tractors comprising:

(a) a pair of V-shaped elements;

(12) means for clamping said V-shaped elements against opposite sides of a tractor axle;

(c) oppositely issuing arms secured to said V-shaped elements; and

(d) threaded elements supported at the free ends of said arms for acting against the closed end of a container,

(e) whereby rotation of said axle will cause wire, rope,

and the like tobe wound on said container.

2. A Windlass attachment in accordance with claim 1 in which said arms each include:

(a) a pair of spaced channel members forming a slot therebetween, said attachment further comprising:

([1) a channel member guided by each slot, each of said last-mentioned channel members having (0) a clamping plate engageable by the said threaded element supported at the free end of the arm with which that particular last-mentioned channel member is associated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,342,749 Kaczmarek June 8, 1920 2,202,398 Poppenga May 28, 1940 2,642,235 Smith June 116, -3 

1. A WINDLASS ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF V-SHAPED ELEMENTS; (B) MEANS FOR CLAMPING SAID V-SHAPED ELEMENTS AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF A TRACTOR AXLE; (C) OPPOSITELY ISSUING ARMS SECURED TO SAID V-SHAPED ELEMENTS; AND (D) THREADED ELEMENTS SUPPORTED AT THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS FOR ACTING AGAINST THE CLOSED END OF A CONTAINER, (E) WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID AXLE WILL CAUSE WIRE, ROPE, AND THE LIKE TO BE WOUND ON SAID CONTAINER. 